Polyglot Shares How To Become Fluent Faster

Hello Luca, thank you so much  for being here on my channel.

Hi, Jennifer.

Thank you for inviting.

Me.

Absolutely.

So you're a polyglot.

Why don't you tell everyone?

How many languages do you speak?

So when people ask me.

How many languages I?

Speak, I always reply that I've  been learning 15 languages.

And I am.

Functional in 10 or 11, meaning that if you ask  

me at the drop of a hat to have  a conversation with you, right?

Now I would be able to.

Hold a conversation.

And more in 10 to 11 languages, but.

I've been learning.

15 in my.

Language learning career, so to speak.

Well, I know a lot of people on  my channel struggle with learning  

one language, so that's an amazing accomplishment.

Now, just so everyone knows, English is  not your native language, is that correct?

Yes, that's correct.

My native language is Italian.

I was born and raised in Italy.

OK, can you quickly summarize your experience  with learning English as a second language?

Sure.

So first, doom and gloom  and desperation at school.

I started learning English when I  was 10, in middle school and then.

At the ripe.

Age of 12 My.

Teachers decided to hire a an  American tutor, Susan, from Chicago.

And that changed everything because until then.

I could not even.

Pronounce the word enough.

I used to say E now.

Because Italians are notoriously.

Like we.

We tend to read.

In in Italian you.

Read You speak as you, as you as you write.

So, but in English.

Which is a non.

It's not a phonetic.

Language.

It's completely different.

And then?

She changed everything because I moved from having  

to do homework for school and with  a relatively, let's say, unpleasant.

English teacher to.

Watching movies, having interesting and  meaningful conversations with Susan,  

who used to record, you know, movies for me.

Back in the day, we didn't have the  Internet and I started having fun.

I started.

Realizing that I could learn.

English by myself and.

All those limiting beliefs that I had.

Both self-imposed and.

Imposed by society.

Then just melted like.

Snow.

And that's the moment.

Where everything changed?

At at 12 and then.

You know, I started learning  more and more by myself.

Starting reading books.

Starting watching more and more.

You know, movies.

And then I went.

Abroad to Ireland for the first time.

And I remember that people call me the  American in the neighborhood and I was very  

proud of that because just three years prior  I could not even string a sentence together.

And then in the.

Course of the last, I would  say, or the last 20-30 years.

I've been using English a lot with my.

Friends and.

You know, I've been living with the English.

Language I've been, I've been, I've  been learning English and using English.

A lot so.

Now I think I speak it decently.

Oh, absolutely.

I'm sure all my students would agree.

And so for you, it seems like the moment  that things change is when you went from  

a language learning approach that you  didn't enjoy to one that you did enjoy.

Is that how you apply the same approach  to learning your your other languages?

Yeah, let's put it this way  that the the shift was both.

A.

In terms of techniques, but  mostly in terms of mindset,  

because I suddenly realized that I could actually.

Learn English now one.

Thing that really happens with most students  who've never learned another foreign language.

Successfully is that they don't  actually believe that they can do.

It and this reminds.

Me.

Of the time when at the ripe age of seven.

I tried to.

I was a.

Seat of a bike and I tried to ride the bike for  the first time and I remember the frustration.

I ended up in tears that day and  my father telling me just be.

Patient.

And you will learn how to ride the bike.

Then when that magically happened?

After a few days of trying, I started.

Believing that I could actually.

Ride a bike.

And then I started.

Riding A.

Bike.

Same thing.

Happens when we acquire a  skill like learning a language.

Until you've reached fluency in  a language, there's always this.

Nagging thought that maybe.

You're not good enough that maybe you don't  

you're you were not bitten by the  polyglot bug or blessed by the.

Gods of the language.

Gods that you don't have talent.

So the reality is that every single person  on this planet can learn a foreign language,  

any foreign language for that matter, if they  already speak their own native language fluently.

The problem is that unfortunately  within the education.

System, the education system  is kind of we have it.

Backwards, unfortunately.

So people tend to.

Learn.

In a very inefficient way, and they  tend to conclude they come to the.

Conclusion that it's their fault  that they're not good enough.

How many times do we have these limiting beliefs?

So I.

Think that what, really?

Changed for me.

Was the fact that I started  believing like Susan brought about.

This revolution.

In terms of techniques, yes, that was  important also to discover, you know,  

the joy of learning, but I think the real.

Shift.

Was psychological more than technical.

So to speak, and but, but then you know the.

Combination of the psychological.

Change and the adopting techniques  and strategies and activities.

That I really like.

You know this combination was.

Work wonders for me.

That's the real difference, you know?

Game changer, as they say.

I'm happy you mentioned that because  I do receive a lot of comments,  

emails from students and they're just frustrated.

They say, Jennifer, I've been learning  English for 10 years, 15 years.

I've been living in North America for 25 years  and I'm still struggling with my English.

And I can tell there's a lot of  frustration in those messages I get.

So how can these students change that belief if  they've had it for 1015 years or even longer?

Do you have any advice for them?

So first of all, I believe that.

We all have limiting beliefs about  what we can do and we cannot.

Do but the past.

Does not have to.

Define our future in the sense.

That yes, it did.

It did happen.

Like you've maybe you.

Still finding it difficult.

To speak English, even if you.

Live in the United States or England or any.

English speaking country.

I do believe, though, that first of  all, it doesn't matter where you live.

It matters how you live.

If you take for example 2.

Students one who lives in the  United States and let's say a  

Spanish speaking student one  lives in the United States.

But always hangs around with other Spanish  speaking people or when they try to learn English.

They get into the same.

Old paradigm of I'm not sure I can actually learn.

They stumble upon their  words, et cetera, et cetera.

And then you take another student.

Who does not live in the United?

States or.

Any other English speaking country,  but then they spend time listening to.

Podcasts or like talk.

Having.

Interesting conversations, maybe on Skype or even.

Meeting English speaking, you know, natives.

In a bar around the corner.

In a language exchange.

So first of all, it's how you live, not where.

And if if then.

How you live, you know what you do in  your everyday life and on top of that.

You also live in country, so you live in the.

UK or the US?

That's a great combination, but first of all.

You have.

To learn how to use your time  properly, that's the very first thing.

The second thing I would.

Say is that.

Again, the fact that.

You learned poorly before or  inefficiently before does not mean.

That.

You have to learn poorly  for the rest of your life.

There's always like what?

When is the best time?

To learn better, more efficiently.

It's now doesn't matter how old you.

Are some people say I'm all 40?

I'm.

50 You have to learn a  language, a foreign language.

When you're in your teens, if you  want to speak a well, it does.

It's not true.

I recently heard a story of someone who's learned  

a foreign language in their 60s  and learned a foreign language.

Well, within.

Three years, so recently at my language running.

Academy an 80.

Year old girl.

And sent me a message, said Luca.

Until I was.

80 I could not speak Spanish, and  now I speak Spanish fluently in a.

Matter of months.

So.

It's never too old.

The third thing is I believe that the main  reason why a lot of people including people who.

Live in the.

US or live?

In in the.

UK or whatever they do not speak  well comes from a number of factors.

The 1st is the the belief.

That they're not good at.

Language learning or they're not.

Good at learning English.

That's the first thing, the 2nd.

Thing is that maybe they don't.

Listen or they don't speak.

Enough.

They tend to use the same techniques.

Or they tend to stick to the same  paradigms of of what they used to do.

Before meaning maybe they speak.

A little bit, but they're.

A little bit timid.

They're a little bit shy.

And maybe they don't.

Listen enough.

They don't watch.

Movies they don't get.

Immersed in the language, we can talk  about this a little bit more in detail,  

but there's capital a very  important things that people can.

Have to change if they.

Want to learn a language?

Well, the good news is.

That nowadays with the Internet  you can do anything you want if.

You learn how to use the Internet correctly.

Instead of getting in like getting.

Sucked in the rabbit hole of.

You know, spending time.

Scrolling the whole.

Day you can do You can engage in  meaningful activities learning English.

So these are the three  important things that you have.

To take into account that explain why a lot of  

people do not speak English  well even if they live in.

The US was very inspiring that you mentioned that  woman who's 80 years old and got amazing results.

Because I know that of course is one of the  limiting beliefs students have is oh, I'm too old.

I don't have enough time.

You hear these beliefs again and again.

Now Speaking of mindset, one of the mindset  factors I hear from students a lot is just fear.

This fear of making mistakes,  this fear of being judged.

And it prevents them from actually going out  there and using their English in the real world.

So they spend all their time  studying, acquiring vocabulary,  

but then they don't have the  confidence to actually use it.

Have you experienced that with  yourself or your students?

And what advice would you share?

So let me first tell you that this is a very.

Human being, a human thing to be.

Scared of?

You know, getting.

Out of your comforts and when we.

When we get out.

Of our comfort zone.

We're always scared.

That's the first thing.

So it's completely, completely  normal to be scared or?

Slightly anxious about the.

Mere fact of having to have a  conversation with a native speaker.

So that's, that's the first  thing to take into account,  

The second thing to take into account is that.

I I foresee like these three.

Zones you have.

The comfort zone at.

The at the beginning.

Right.

So that's where you stand where  you're like sitting in the.

Corner You're learning  vocabulary, but you don't want to.

Venture out there and.

Have you know?

Talk to, talk to people.

Then you have.

Out like there's another layer  or zone around that zone,  

which I call like it's called the Goldilocks.

Zone, so it's slightly.

Challenging, but it's not too challenging.

I'll give.

You a concrete example in a second  and then you have the panic.

Zone The panic zone is where you're completely out  

of your comfort zone so far that it's  you panic because it's too difficult.

An example.

So your comfort zone is, let's  say, whoever is listening,  

if you're you know, you're you've been  learning a language for a little bit.

And.

Or for a long time for that matter.

English and you still find it difficult, you know.

You still tremble at the  idea of speaking to someone.

Or you're interacting.

With someone but you, you, you, you.

You know you don't.

Express yourself smoothly because.

Your mind goes blank.

And you think, Oh my God, they're.

Judging me I'm making.

Mistakes you think about Rammer.

All those.

Things that make it difficult then.

Think about this.

Your comfort zone is sitting  in front of a computer.

And making maybe lists.

Of words.

Or maybe watching something passively.

Right, so.

That is an.

Excuse of oh, I'm engaging with the language.

But I'm not actually.

Talking to people.

Then you have the.

Goal what I call the Goldilocks zone.

It's a good zone.

It's a good zone.

To be in and you tell yourself.

OK, I'm scared.

Fine.

Normal.

But I could have.

Maybe I could.

Hire a tutor.

A very nice and friendly person.

With whom I could have a.

Conversation.

It's a protected environment because  you're paying whether you're paying.

Someone or you find.

Someone, Someone you can have a  conversation with, maybe on Skype.

There is no background noise.

That person knows that you're a learner.

And then you can have a.

Conversation.

You can prepare beforehand  about a topic you're interested.

In and you can have a meaningful.

Conversation.

That's a Gray.

Zone that you can get in.

A Gray zone, but a good zone to be in.

So that you can actually step out of your comfort.

Zone progressively have a conversation.

You realize, oh, that was not a big deal.

The person was nice.

I stumbled and I grumbled a little bit.

But at the end of the day, I made it.

And then you have the panic zone.

The panic zone is where you get.

Out and say.

You go and buy.

Something, let's say, you  know, I don't know, maybe.

A train ticket.

You go to the.

Station, and unfortunately you come.

Across a very grumpy old lady or a guy, we're  not very happy because of their own reasons.

And then they blurt out something you do not.

Understand and you find  yourself in that situation.

Where, Oh my gosh, what do I do?

Do I reply that I do not understand  and like, look like a fool?

Or do I nod and I?

Pretend that I understand.

These are not easy.

Situations because we think.

Oh, you just have to buy a ticket.

But in real life conversations and interactions,  native speakers are not your teachers.

They go about their own business.

That's the reason.

Why?

That's a panic zone.

So my simple advice is try to.

Build your comfort zone if  you're scared of speaking.

The one thing that you have to  think about is to find a situation.

Where you find yourself, find some comfort.

A person who's.

Friendly.

Not necessarily competent,  but friendly, let me say.

This again, because this is very important.

People tend to think that when they have to.

Prepare, prepare, or just interact with someone.

They have to find a very.

Competent person who?

Explains the English grammar in detail.

That's not true.

You need.

Someone to talk to.

That's the main point.

That person will listen to you, will  possibly give you feedback for the.

Mistakes you make, but they don't have to explain.

Grammar to you in.

Detail, nowadays we have.

You can do that if you want to but the main.

Goal is to actually.

Speak to.

Have a conversation.

Fluency is not just a matter.

Of how many words you know?

How many?

Grammar rules you know or if whether your.

Pronunciation is good.

Or accurate or not, it's a degree  of confidence that you build with.

Experiences that you have.

And the first experience.

You can have.

Nowadays we can, because we  have the Internet is to have a.

Conversation with someone.

That you find friendly in a protected.

Environment.

That's the first thing that I would  do, the second thing that I would.

Do and that's maybe even.

More important is this the reason?

Why we tend to stumble, we tend to.

Think about grammar.

Our mind goes blank.

Is due to something.

That, unfortunately, we were  all subjected to think about.

Well.

You're from the United?

States and from Italy.

But all across the world, the  pattern is always the same.

At school, we tend to think.

In terms of performance, not in terms of.

Communication.

Children have a great time using foreign  languages because you learning their own native.

Language.

Because they communicate.

They have fun.

They just don't think.

Oh, I'll be judged.

But adults or adults, what  happens is that they go to school.

They constantly think I'm getting a mark.

Am I going?

To get good mark.

Am I going to get bad mark so someone  I don't know the teacher addresses you?

You're not thinking about AI Mean I want to talk.

About this because.

I'm so excited.

You're thinking, let me try to survive, you  know, let me try to say whatever I can say.

But thinking I have to conjugate  the verb correctly, I have.

To say this, the.

You know that's the problem and.

If you start.

Focusing on communication.

Instead of performance, it changes everything.

So here's my piece of advice.

Whenever you have a conversation,  make sure that you prepare something,  

a topic that you really like,  and just talk about that.

Get.

Excited.

It doesn't.

Matter if you make mistakes or not, the most  important thing is you get your point across.

If I told you for example.

In English I tomorrow.

School you will understand perfectly.

I.

Tomorrow to go to school you will  understand perfectly, even if.

It's not grammatically accurate, but it's.

Better to say something and.

Make a mistake rather.

Than not saying anything but this again you have.

To you have to understand  and be aware of the fact.

That the outcome.

Police it's like.

Oh, you made a.

Mistake is there.

If you change this.

If you have experienced.

This mind shift.

Not performance, but.

Communication.

It changes everything.

One last thing, I know I'm rambling a little bit.

But I love this.

I love this topic.

There is a beautiful Ted talk which is called.

Teaching English without teaching English.

I think I I wrote it this year.

Somewhere it's.

By Roberto Guzman.

He's a Mexican guy who's teaching Mexican kids to.

Learn to.

To speak English.

Beautiful.

It talks about.

All the stuff in his own.

His own way.

You know and and I think some.

These are universal principles.

Focus.

On communication and not outcome.

You raised so many points.

I hope everyone is paying attention because  Luca has given you all such amazing advice  

and this is something I've seen with my students.

They well, they think that when they're  communicating with a native speaker,  

it's the same as communicating with their teacher.

They expect to be assessed, judged, corrected.

They think it's an appropriate time to think about  grammar, correct their mistakes, ask for feedback.

When really you're just having a conversation,  it's not the appropriate time to do that.

So I'm so glad that you  raised all their those points.

And everyone watch that Ted talk as well.

I will watch it myself.

I don't believe I have and you to talk  specifically about when students forget their  

words or their mind goes blank, it's because  they're entering out of that comfort zone.

So it's just more of a natural thing.

But I wanted to know if you could  expand on that at all or give any  

more specific advice because this is one  thing that my students ask a lot about.

I I know the words, I studied this, I know it.

But then when I'm in the situation,  I open my mouth and it it just goes.

Do you have any practical strategies to help  them remember their words when they need them?

Absolutely so.

This happens to me as well and to.

To go back to your previous.

Question when you will.

Ask me, does this happen to you as well?

Did you get?

Scared of speaking?

Yes.

Every single time and.

Learn a new language.

I am terrified when the moment.

Comes of speaking.

Even after all, so many years because.

In my subconscious mind.

Unfortunately.

The, the, the, you know, the the influence  that school had on me when I was a little.

Kid is still there in the  subconscious part of my mind.

So now to answer.

Your question we're not going  to talk delve into neuroscience,  

although I'm really passionate  about how the brain works.

And if you understand how the brain  works, it gives you an incredible.

Insight into why?

We have these problems when speaking a  foreign language or our even our own native.

Language for that matter.

But to make it simple, this is the reason.

Why all this works?

All this happens?

Sorry.

In our mind we.

Process language learning when we.

Still do not.

Speak a language well, so we're not  talking about our native language,  

we're talking about foreign language.

We use what is called what this part of the  brain, which is called prefrontal cortex.

This is our like this is.

How we think consciously, how we plan things.

When we try to retrieve words when we try to.

Think about grammar.

Etcetera, etcetera.

Then we have another part of the brain.

Which is called the limbic system that  has to do with, let's say, emotions.

This is a.

An.

An.

Oversimplification of how this?

Works, but just to to show you a  metaphor of how like there you have.

Two competing, let's say.

Parts of the brain.

One is trying to process to think.

About words, to arrange them together to think.

About grammar.

And the other part.

Which is the emotional.

Part.

Fights against this part.

So if you're tense.

And subconsciously we.

Walk into a conversation, whether it's  with a tutor or with people outside,  

there's a level of tension.

That.

Unfortunately, where the amygdala  is involved in not only the.

Amygdala that keeps this.

Part of the brain, let's say, keeps it from.

Communicating well with other.

Parts of the brain.

So imagine that.

This part of the brain wants  to grab a word somewhere,  

fetch a word with a mechanical arm, but the  other part just keeps it from doing that.

If you're stressed, if you're anxious.

If you walk into.

Any conversation with the idea  that you're going to be judged?

And.

Everything.

You know all.

The negative things that you think.

Concerning a conversation.

This is bound to happen.

This has happened to me.

A number.

Of times.

Recently, just to give you a very concrete  example, I've been learning Serbian for two years.

I had a.

Conversation with my colleague who's.

American, Serbian, American, and I've  been learning the language for two years.

I understand it pretty well.

We recorded a conversation for YouTube.

I could not say the simplest things.

Like he asked me, Are you ready?

I was like, I couldn't.

Even say yes, I am in Serbian and I.

Realized.

How is that possible and because the knowledge?

Is there but.

It's blocked, so it's something that happens all.

The time our mind goes blank because we are  anxious and we are in this mode, in this.

Very negative mode.

My suggestion is once again.

What I said before is that.

To establish if you're.

Anxious about having a  conversation with a native speaker?

Find one person, a friendly person, not  necessarily competent a friendly person.

You are really excited.

You know, you you think, oh, I'm going to talk to.

Jennifer or Luca?

Or Mark about?

Whatever excites you.

And when that happens.

When you focus more on the communication than the  performance, your level of stress is going to go.

Down and and then.

Your mind will.

Go blank because it's.

This is inevitable.

It's a background noise that you're.

Not going to eliminate, but it's going to.

It's going to happen less and less when you're.

Talking with that person, If that happens,  there's another simple thing you can do Is like.

You can just say I I'm.

Trying to say this word if the other  person speaks your Spanish, for example.

You can.

You know, either say I don't remember how  to say this word and be very honest or.

Smile or look?

It.

On, on, on.

You know, on the fly.

But just be.

Honest first with yourself and  then with the other person.

Once you establish.

With one person again.

A friendly communication  like a collaboration then.

Your stress levels will.

Go down and you will be able to manage this.

Conversation much better.

And that is going to give.

You confidence.

With that confidence, you're going to walk into  

another conversation and  then another conversation.

Remember every time you have another  experience in a foreign language.

So every time that.

You walk into a grocery store to ask  something, or you buy a train ticket.

That's a new experience.

It's old because you lived it in your own.

Native language, but it's new because you've.

Never done it in your foreign language.

So a.

Little bit of a level like the the level of  stress is going to be there you're going to.

Think, Oh my God, I'm just going to mess this up.

It's going to be a.

Disaster once you do.

It you realize, no big deal.

And then your confidence is going to grow.

Step by step.

Well, you shared a lot there.

But I think for my students, just  understanding that it's it's how  

their brain works, it's normal, it's  natural and thank you for sharing that.

You still have that experience even today.

I'm sure that made all my students feel  more confident and it's just building up  

those successes, getting those successes  in a in an A comfortable environment that  

will allow them to build their  confidence slowly over time.

Great advice.

Thank you.

And I feel like we could talk  for so long about these topics,  

especially diving into how our brain works.

That's so interesting.

And I know you have more videos  on your YouTube channel, so why  

don't you just share with my students  where they can find you on YouTube?

What's your YouTube channel?

Sure thing.

My.

YouTube channel is just Luca  Lampariella which is just by.

Name.

So if you write Luca Lampariello  or Luca languages on YouTube, you.

Will find my channel.

It's all about learning how to learn.

I do have some videos where  I speak multiple languages  

or other languages in just one video, but.

It mainly it's about.

How to Learn How to Use your Brain to learn more.

Efficiently and to show you that that is possible.

And then everyone can do it.

I'll put the YouTube channel in the  description as well so everyone can follow you.

Get those language learning tips and advice.

Final question for you before we wrap up.

If my students were to do only one thing  this week to improve their English,  

what would you recommend that they do?

I would say to focus on the joy of  actually whatever they're doing,  

whether they're speaking, whether  we're writing, whether we're reading,  

whether they're listening, whether  they're watching a YouTube.

Video like this one to have.

Joy to to think.

About.

The joy.

Of learning instead of.

I have to do this because I have.

To learn it's more like I.

Want to do this?

I think that once again, yes,  techniques and strategies.

They're important, but this?

Mindset shift that you need to  have in order to take things.

For further, is the one of the  most powerful things and factors.

When it comes to success in learning.

English or?

Any other?

Language for that matter.

What an amazing way to end our conversation.

Focus on joy.

You heard it everyone.

Focus on joy.

Thank you so much for being here, Luca,  and sharing these amazing tips and advice.

My pleasure.

Bye, bye.